Study: Babies who look like their dads are more healthy

(Meredith) – A new study has revealed that babies who look like their dads are healthier than babies that don’t resemble their fathers.

Binghamton University said the reason for that is because fathers who believe the baby looks like them are more likely to spend time with them.

"Fathers are important in raising a child and it manifests itself in the health of the child," Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at Binghamton University Solomon Polachek said in the study.

In fact, fathers spent an average of 2.5 days more with babies that looked like them compared to babies that don’t look like their father.

Dr. Polachek said the reason for that increased time is because fathers are more certain the baby is theirs. More frequent time with a dad allows a bond to be created between the baby and father, including caregiving and supervision.

The study encourages fathers who may not live with their children to spend time with their kids, especially during early development.